Hat stretcher



Oct. 16, 1934. w, ABRESCH 1,976,711

HAT STRETCHER Filed June '7, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l XA6YQJC%INVENTOR Oct.16,1934. w, ABRES H 1,976,711

HAT STRETCHER Filed June 7, 1935 .2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V z'Zlz'a'mXArea'cigR A'TTORNEY Patented Oct. 16, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT oeriyce1,976,711 HAT STRETCHER William Y. Abresch, Gastonia, N. C, I

Application June 7, 1933, Serial No. 674,746

2 Claims. (01. zzaees) I The object of this invention is to provide asimple device whereby a hat may be stretched to any given size and whichmay be held in the stretched condition until it has been fully set.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a holding mechanismwhich may be easily released and when released will quickly release thehat.

Other objects of the invention will appear in the course of thefollowing description and the invention resides in certain novelfeatures which will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the annexed drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a hat stretcher constructed in accordancewith the present invention, the cover for the stretcher blocks beingremoved.

Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line 22 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is aplan view with parts in section.

Figure 4 is a side elevation. In carrying out the invention there isprovided a table or base 1 of any suitable material and of any desireddesign, the table top being supported by legs or posts 2 secured to itsunder side and equipped with cushions or feet 3 of rubber or similarmaterial whereby the device may be placed upon any convenient supportand moved from point to point thereover without marring the surfacethereof. For convenience in handling the device a handle 4 of anyapproved design is secured to the table at the edge of the same, asclearly shown.

Resting upon the table adjacent the center of the same is a pair ofblocks 5 which are preferably formed of wood but may be of any othermaterial and supported by these blocks is a gear casing consisting of alower member 6 and an upper member 7 resting upon the lower memberwithin a flange 8 thereon, the members being of a generally rectangularform, as shown in Figure 1, so that when fitted together they will notreadily separate. J ournaled in the table 1 and in the top of the uppergear case member 7 is a post 9 carrying gears 10 and 11 within the gearcase and resting upon the top of the upper gear case member 7 areadditional blocks 12 which support a cover 13 of suitable form and sizeto extend over the stretcher blocks when the latter are in their normalor initial positions. Long bolts 14 are inserted through the blocks 5and 12 and through the gear case, as well as the cover 13 and the table1, and are equipped with securing nuts 15 for the table whereby theparts are secured in '55 their assembled positions. The gears 10 and 11mesh with racks 16 and 17 which are secured to and extend inwardly fromthe side stretcher blocks 18 and end stretcher blocks 19, respectively,the rack bars being offset adjacent their outer ends so that while theywill be properly disposed to mesh with the respective gears they will besecured to the stretcher blocks at the centers thereof so that the powerwill be applied to the stretcher blocks so as to be distributed equallythroughout the same. The stretcher blocks may be of metal and areprovided with strengthening ribs or bosses 20 on their inner sides attheir centers into which the outer ends of the respective bars arethreaded, as shown most clearly at 21 in Figure 2.

The stretcher blocks are suitably shaped so'that when they are togetherthey will form a symmetrical oval and willreadily engage the inside of ahat and maintain the conformation thereof.

After the outer ends of the rack bars have been threaded into therespective stretcher blocks, locking screws 22 may be fitted in thebottoms of the blocks so as to engage the bars and prevent withdrawal ofthe latter. Retractile springs 23 are disposed between and attached tothe opposed end stretcher blocks 19 and tend constantly to hold them tothe side blocks. The lower extremity of the shaft 9 is reduced relativeto the main portion of the shaft and is of a non-circular outline, thisreduced portion 24 being engaged in a correspondingly shaped opening inthe inner end of a lever 25 and a washer 26 being fitted below thereduced portion and held thereto by a screw 27, as shown and as will beunderstood. The lever 25 is disposed below the table 1 and extendsbeyond the edge of the same, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 3.

Secured upon the table-at that portion of the edge under which the leverprojects, is a scale 7 plate 28 having hat sizes marked thereon, asindicated at 29, and having its outer edge formed into ratchet teeth 30.Upon the upper side of the lever is secured an index 31 which projectsover the scale plate 28 to cooperate with the size marks thereon, andpivotally mounted between this index finger and the top of the lever isa dog 32 which is adapted to engage the ratchet teeth 30 and therebyprevent reverse movement of the lever. The dog is extended past itspivot to the opposite side of the lever and formedinto an outturnedfinger 33 which maybe easily manipulated by pressure from the fingers ofthe operator.

In use, the hat to be stretched is placed over the cover 13 and therespective stretcher blocks to rest upon the table 1, as indicated bythe dotted lines in Figure 2. The lever is then pulled or swung from itsinitial position, shown in Figure 1, to the point where the indicator 31will align with the size mark indicating the size to be given the hatwhereupon the grip upon the lever may be released. The stretcher blocksslide readily over the top of the table and .as they move outwardly theywill, of course, stretch the hat to the desireddegree. The dog 32 in engagement with the ratchet teeth 30 will effectually hold the lever inthe position to which it has been moved so that the hat will be held inthe enlarged form until it has been fullyset. A pressure upon the finger33 will release the dog 32 and the springs 23 will then at once draw theseveral blocks inwardly so that the hat will be released. It will bereadily noted that the upper gear 10 meshing with the rack bars 16 is ofless diameter than the gear 11 meshing with the rack bars 17 so thatwhile the gears will operate simultaneously and the stretcher blockswill all move at the same time, the end stretcher blocks 19 will movesomewhat more rapidly than the side stretcher blocks, this variation inthe speed being desirable in order to retain the proper shape of the hatwhile stretching it to the desired degree. Inasmuch as the gears arecarried by a single shaft, when the retractile springs 23 draw the endblocks inwardly the movement will be transferred through the gearing tothe side stretcher blocks so that they will likewise be drawn inwardly.The lever 25 'will operate directly upon the shaft and gearing and maybe very easilymanipulated, while it is disposed below the table andconsequently permits the 013+ erating mechanism to be disposed in avery'compact form and permits the provision of a cover plate 14 whichhouses the mechanism and protects it from damage which might be causedby spect to the blocks, gears of different sizes,

mounted on the shaft, an operating lever connected to one end of theshaft, and rack bars meshing with the respective gears on the shaft andhaving their outer ends offset relative to their main body portions andthreaded into the respective stretcher blocks at the centers thereof forengagement with the front, back, and side portfons of .a hat whereby thelatter will be stretched in all directions in conformity with thenatural shape of the head in different sizes. 2. A hat stretchercomprising a table, stretcher blocks resting upon and slidable over thetable, a gear case disposed centrally with respect to the stretcherblocks, supporting blocks arranged above and below the gear case, acover plate restupon the upper blocks and extending over the stretcherblocks, a shaft journaled in the table and in the gear case, gears onthe shaft within the gear case, rack bars connected to the respectivestretcher blocks and meshing with the respective gears, means forturning the shaft, and securing bolts inserted through the table, thegear case, the supporting blocks and the cover.

WILLIAM Y. ABRESCH.

